In honor of Bastille Day—July 14—we’re taking a mental vacay to the streets of pretty Paris…and letting a li’l Parisian flair color our next party. Whether you’re throwing a get-together today, planning abig-time birthday bash for you or a bestie or gearin’ up for an end-of-summer shindig, here are a handful of sweet and sophisticated ideas, straight from the City of Light. De rien!

Before you head to the party store looking for décor ideas,
sit down, look at some pictures of Paris for inspiration and come up with a
concept that’ll come across to your guests. For springtime in Paris, a soft
pastel palette is oh-so pretty. For a Bastille
Day bash, think of the French flag and its colors: blue, white and red. For
something terribly chic, go for monochromatic black and white. And for an
over-the-top, girly-girl look, consider pink with rich accents or designs.

Think: Makeover

Inside or out, small room or large, any space you have
available will work for this party…you just need to be creative. We love what this party-planning guru did to this
simple indoor/outdoor patio area. Disguise plain walls by hanging streamers or
ribbons from ceiling to floor. Head to a local farmer’s market to pick up piles
of fresh flowers on the cheap—or, ask guests to bring a bouquet of their
favorite blooms instead of gifts.

Listen: La vie en
rose

Set the tone as soon as your guests walk in with songs
straight from the streets of the City of Light. You don’t need to crank it up,
just turn up the volume enough so strains of old-fashioned French music can be
heard as you talk and laugh and munch your way through the day.

Get started with this
vintage French playlist from Spotify…

Sip: A little bubbly

Leave champagne for the adults—we’ve got something even
tastier. Pick up a few bottled of sparkling lemonade. Keep them cool in a
vintage-looking ice bucket, and ask Mom if you can borrow her good champagne
glasses for the occasion. Getting a no on that one? Instead, head to a party
store and grab a set of good-looking fakes. Might be pricier than the
bottom-dollar versions, but you can wash and reuse for other parties, too.

The French are known for their food, so instead of offering
just one choice for everyone, consider
going with a buffet. For a main course, think baguettes and a spread of
cured meats, cheeses and veggies. A good local bakery will have everything you
need for dessert, like cream puffs, éclairs, croissants. Or, you can whip up
your own treats. Try our rosewater
cupcakesto start. We also love these
crafty Eiffel Tower treats, made from wafer cookies and icing.